Fast Track

Formerly a backer of the defunct Brawn GP, Graham London is now an official sponsor 2 of the Mercedes Petronas GP F1 team. QP asks CEO Eric Loth how the partnership came to be and looks at the new watch to have emerged from it.

Simon de Burton

In a previous issue of QP we brought you chronographs feature 47mm steel cases, watches and this new model is typically news of Graham becoming the official a sapphire crystal case back carrying the well engineered, with a robust 50-hour timing partner of the Isle of Man TT Races Mercedes GP Petronas team logo and a automatic movement and a well-detailed and a backer of the Brawn rubber strap patterned in the style of a case with crisp hobnail decoration around Team, for which it produced a special wet weather race tyre. The dial comes in the bezel. The piece is also water resistant chronograph wristwatch. Well, Brawn is now carbon or silver with a large 30-minutes down to a sensible 100m. a footnote in the history of Formula One counter at 3 o’clock and a smaller 60 having been brought and transmogrified seconds counter, subtly decorated with a Graham’s deal with Mercedes GP does not, into Mercedes GP Petronas – meaning that rim in Petronas green, at 9 o’clock. however, extend to drivers the few Graham/Brawn GP wristwatches and Michael Schumacher wearing the that found their way into the public domain The watch is remarkably sober in watches as official ‘ambassadors’ (despite might one day prove quite collectable. comparison to other Graham models with the fact that Schuey is no longer on their often acid-bright colour schemes and the Omega payroll as he was during his But the situation does not mean the end prominent ‘trigger’ pushpieces. Inspiration Ferrari years). of Graham’s involvement in Formula One, for its design allegedly came from the as the Swiss-made, British-inspired brand historic Mercedes-Benz ‘Silver Arrows’ Genuine interest is now the official manufacturer of the racers, with the hands being based on The impetus behind Graham’s links to two Mercedes GP watch, which it launched the profile of the points of the M-B star and four wheels comes from the company’s at Brooklands in July. The ‘Trackmaster’ mascot. Graham specialises in chronograph CEO, Eric Loth, an amateur Porsche racing

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Mercedes GP Trackmaster Silver dial. Mercedes GP Trackmaster black dial.

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driver and an enthusiastic motorcyclist. Loth’s interest in motor sport attracted him When QP caught up with him, he had, to the Brawn GP team when it was looking literally, just pulled-in to the pits in his GT3 for sponsors during its earliest days. The while taking part in the Porsche Cup at the result was the Graham logo appearing on former Formula One track in Dijon, France. the cars’ wing mirrors and the creation of the aforementioned Brawn GP wristwatch. Loth established The British Masters SA in 1995 having secured the licence to use “I found [Mercedes F1 some of the best-known names in English team principal] and Nick [CEO of the watchmaking, among which are Arnold Mercedes F1 team] to be very easy going and Son, Tompion and Graham. Loth and and just the sort of people I like to work the other British Masters directors, who with,” Loth told QP. “We established a very include William Asprey of Mayfair’s William good relationship during the Brawn era so and Son luxury goods store, have worked it seemed natural to carry it on when the Loth at Silverstone during the Brawn days. hard to promote the ‘Britishness’ of the team was bought by Mercedes. But we Graham brand, which takes its name from couldn’t just re-badge the Brawn watch. the 18th-century English horologist We had to do something different as that George Graham who is sometimes referred watch followed the ‘code’ of Brawn which to as the ‘father’ of the chronograph. And, is not the same as the ‘code’ of Mercedes. it is in his honour that the most accurate column wheel movements power today’s “We formed an objective to do something Graham chronographs. a bit more subtle in design, something that

Eric Loth flanked by Nico Rosberg and Michael Schumacher at the launch of the Mercedes GP Trackmaster.

Ross Brawn proudly sporting his Graham.

Nico Rosberg driving the Graham-sponsored Mercedes car.

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The Silverstone GMT Stowe.

The Brawn GP Trackmaster Tourbillograph – a unique automatic chronograph with tourbillon.

fits better with the Mercedes DNA. We are targeting drivers are concerned, we are people who want something classic but something simply very happy that Nico that is also fresh and technical - something with has independently acquired a fewer colours and add-ons. It would, after all, have Graham Oversize GMT with a seemed a bit ridiculous to do a Mercedes watch in British Racing Green dial that he one of our brightest, most crazy colours.” will wear off-track. We’d love to present one to Michael, too, but Does this mean, therefore, that the instantly our strategy has never been to recognisable Graham watches that we have come buy our ambassadors so we’ll to know and love, with their Forth Bridge-like just have to wait to see whether construction and screaming hues, could become a or not he decides to wear a The very exclusive Chronofighter Rattrapante, available only through Harrods. thing of the past? Graham out of his own choice.”

“Not at all,” assures Loth. “But we have decided to The Silverstone Stowe introduce a simpler GMT model influenced by the And adding to it’s motor racing-inspired models, Trackmaster towards the end of the year.” Graham has recently launched a watch called the Silverstone Stowe GMT, a 48mm, PVD-coated But why, despite the clearly strong association with chronograph named after the infamous corner at the Mercedes GP team, are drivers Schumacher and ’s renowned track. Available in Rosberg not going to be wearing Graham watches two versions with either green or red detailing in any official capacity? “Unfortunately, Graham is around the bezel and minute counter, the watch has not in a position to do watch endorsements with a flyback chronograph function, two time zones, Michael and Nico,” Loth told QP. “We are lending our big date display and a tachymetre scale for speed full support to the team and our best ambassador and distance calculations. The carbon dial features remains team principal Ross Brawn himself who white, luminous numbers and the rubber tyre tread wears a unique version of our Tourbillograph strap has either a red or a green stripe according to Trackmaster Chromium with special bridges and the colourway of the watch. Production is limited to a personally engraved movement. As far as the 250 examples priced at around £6,000. 8

Further information: www.graham-london.com

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